yen

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈyen 

plural yen

: the basic monetary unit of Japan see Money Table

yen

2 of 3

noun (2)

: a strong desire or propensity

a yen for the sea

also : urge, craving

a yen for ice cream

yen

3 of 3

verb

yenned; yenning

intransitive verb

: to have an intense desire : long

Did you know?

Although yen suggests no more than a strong desire these days (as in “a yen for a beach vacation”), at one time someone with a yen was in deep trouble: the first meaning of yen, used in the late 19th century, was an intense craving for opium. The word comes from yīn-yáhn, a combination of yīn, meaning “opium,” and yáhn, “craving,” in the Chinese language used in the province of Guangdong. In English, the Chinese syllables were translated as yen-yen, and eventually shortened to yen.

Synonyms of yen

Noun (2)

• craving
• desire
• thirst
• longing
• urge
• appetite
• hunger

Verb

• crave
• pine (for)
• die (for)
• hunger (for)
• long (for)
• thirst (for)
• repine (for)
• wish (for)
• want
• itch (for)
• salivate (for)
• sigh (for)
• lust (for or after)
• jones (for)
• yearn (for)
• ache (for)
• hanker (for or after)

Examples of yen in a Sentence

Noun (2)

I have a strange yen to take the day off from work

Verb

A car lover who predictably yens for the latest and greatest new models.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Wall Street bank raised its forecasts for the dollar-yen exchange rate to 162 in three months, 163 in six months and 165 in 12 months, from its earlier projections of 160, 158 and 155, respectively. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 6 July 2026

To prevent precipitous yen depreciation, Tokyo has periodically intervened in markets and spent tens of billions of dollars to shore up the currency in April and May. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 July 2026

Although a weak yen raises the value of exports’ earnings when converted into yen, a boon for Japan’s giant exporters, that positive is starting to be countered by the big negative of rising energy prices. — ABC News, 1 July 2026

Have a yen for Japanese cuisine–then whisper-thin icy somen noodles will nicely hit the spot without bogging you down. — Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Japanese en

Noun (2)

obsolete English argot yen-yen craving for opium, from Chin (Guangdong) yīn-yáhn, from yīn opium + yáhn craving

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1874, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1906, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1919, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing yen

• the yen
• yen-shee

Rhymes for yen

• ben
• bren
• chen
• den
• en
• gen
• glen
• hen
• jen
• ken
• men
• pen

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Kids Definition

yen

1 of 2 noun

ˈyen 

plural yen

1

: the basic unit of money of Japan

2

: a coin worth one yen

yen

2 of 2 noun

: an intense desire : longing